14 September 2025

Beautiful Sunday for Birding, Woodbridge Island

Looking out of my window this morning from Arnhem, Milnerton I could not resist spending an hour or so birding along the Diep River, Woodbridge Island

Table Mountain view from across the Diep River
Table Mountain view from across the Diep River : Samsung Galaxy Smart Phone

It was indeed a 'Sunday Beautiful Sunday' once I found myself next to the Diep River, Woodbridge Island. With a soft South-easterly wind giving the water tiny ripples across the river. Not smooth conditions I prefer, but, nevertheless, more than adequate for birds in flight and perched birds in the adjacent Table Bay Nature Reserve.

My only concern was the ongoing City of Cape Town Unsatisfactory Water Quality Management / Progress Milnerton diminishing bird species from about an average of 35 species a day (2016/17) to about 10 species (2025).

Vernon Chalmers Birding Photography Training

Birds and one butterfly images during the morning

  • Common Waxbill
  • Southern Mask Weaver
  • Cape Bulbul
  • Cape Sparrow
  • Egyptian Goose
  • Grey Heron
  • African black oystercatcher
  • Yellow-Billed Duck
  • Grey Heron in Flight
  • Black-Shouldered Kite in Flight
  • Cabbage white butterfly in Flight


Cape Waxbill : Along the Diep River, Woodbridge Island
Cape Waxbill : Along the Diep River, Woodbridge Island

Southern Mask Weaver : Table Bay Nature Reserve, Woodbridge Island
Southern Mask Weaver : Table Bay Nature Reserve, Woodbridge Island

Cape Bulbul : Along the Diep River, Woodbridge Island
Cape Bulbul : Along the Diep River, Woodbridge Island

Egyptian Goose : Along the Diep River, Woodbridge Island
Egyptian Goose : Along the Diep River, Woodbridge Island 

Grey Heron Chased by an Egyptian Goose : Other side of the Diep River
Grey Heron Chased by an Egyptian Goose : Other side of the Diep River

Snoozing African Black Oystercatchers : Diep River, Woodbridge Island
Snoozing African Black Oystercatchers : Diep River, Woodbridge Island

Yellow- Billed Duck landing in the Diep River, Woodbridge Island
Yellow- Billed Duck landing in the Diep River, Woodbridge Island

Black-Shouldered Kite : Above the Diep River, Woodbridge Island
Black-Shouldered Kite : Above the Diep River, Woodbridge Island

Grey Heron in Flight above the Diep River, Woodbridge Island
Grey Heron in Flight above the Diep River, Woodbridge Island

Cabbage White Butterfly : Along the Diep River, Woodbridge Island
Cabbage White Butterfly : Along the Diep River, Woodbridge Island

Location: Arnhem Milnerton, Diep River, Woodbridge Island, Table Bay Nature Reserve

Canon Camera / Lens for Bird Photography

  • Canon EOS 7D Mark II (APS-C)
  • Canon EF 400mm f/4L USM Lens
  • SanDisk Extreme PRO 64GB 200 MB/s

Exposure / Focus Settings

  • Autofocus On
  • Manual Mode
  • Aperture f/5.6
  • Auto ISO 400 - 2000
  • Shutter Speeds 1/2500s
  • No Image Stabilisation
  • No Flash
  • Handheld

Image Post-Processing: Lightroom Classic (Ver 14.5)

  • Minor Adjustments (Exposure / Contract / Crop)
  • Spot Removal
  • RAW to JPEG Conversion

All Images CopyrightVernon Chalmers Photography